DEVOTION TO THE 9 FRIDAYS NOVENA IN HONOR OF JESUS NAZARENE (WITH CONSIDERATIONS AND PRAYERS OF POPE FRANCIS)
OPENING PRAYER FOR EVERYDAY
O Jesus Nazarene, my most sweet Redeemer, I prostrate myself before Thee, with a heart full of repentance for all the sins I have committed against Thee, especially for my forgetfullness of the graces which thou has bestowed on me in the past, most particularly the ineffable grace of the act of redemption. Jesus, I am sorry and deeply grieve my offenses.
My Lord, I am sorry for all my sins which have been the cause of Thy carrying of the cross in the midst of suffering and embitterness until thous has offered Thy life in Mt Calvary. This thou hast done for love of me, a sinful creature, and for love of mankind.
Allow me now, my sweet Lord to bring myself face to face with Thee, however unworthy I am. Forgive me all my sins, since Thou didst not want the condemnation of the sinner but his conversion and salvation. I come to Thee with firm purpose of amendment and a resolve not to displease Thee again by sin but to pledge my service to Thee, unto the hour of my death. Sanctify O God my desires and deign to grant me the graces which I need, and I call upon the powerful, intercession of Thy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYERS
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
O Mary, Mother laden with sorrows, I humbly ask of thee, through the merits of thy grief which Thou didst suffer because of the death of thy Son, our Lord and God. Who was disfigured by bruises and blood for love of me, that thou offer to God my supplications so that I may obtain the graces which I ask from Him. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee
SPECIAL PRAYER
O most sweet Jesus Nazarene, My God and Redeemer, who hast trodden the road to Calvary with the weight of the cross on thy shoulders: look down on me a sinner who is now giving praise to Thy sufferings. I also thank Thee for saving me through thy sweet acceptance of sufferings on the cross.
Forgive me my sins, O Good Jesus. I acknowledge my weaknesses and I trust that out of the boundless mercy Thou will wash with Thy blood my inumerable sins. I love Thee above all things, and I promise to be faithful to Thy commandments unto the hour of my death.
Be with me, Lord and guide my steps so that I may reach the end of this earthly journey to the kingdom of heaven. Amen
LITANY OF THE PASSION
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, *have mercy on us. God the Son, * God the Holy Spirit, * Holy Trinity one God, * Jesus, the Eternal Wisdom, * Jesus, sold for thirty pieces of silver, * Jesus, prostrate on the ground in prayer, * Jesus, strengthened by an angel, * Jesus, in Thine agony bathed in a bloody sweat, * Jesus, betrayed by Judas with a kiss, * Jesus, bound by the soldiers, * Jesus, forsaken by thy disciples, * Jesus, brought before Annas and Caiphas, * Jesus, struck in the face by a servant, * Jesus, accused by false witnesses, * Jesus, declared guilty of death, * Jesus, spat upon, * Jesus, blindfolded, * Jesus, smitten on the cheek, * Jesus, thrice denied by Peter, * Jesus, delivered up to Pilate, * Jesus, despised and mocked by Herod, * Jesus, clothed in a white garment, * rJesus, rejected for Barnabas, * Jesus, torn with scourges, * Jesus, bruised by our sins, * Jesus, esteemed as a leper, * Jesus, covered witha purple robe, * Jesus, crowned with thorns, * Jesus, struck with a reed upon the head, * Jesus, demanded for crucifixion by the Jews, * Jesus, condemned to an ignominious death, * Jesus, given up to the will of Thine enemies, * Jesus, loaded with the heavy weight of the Cross, * Jesus, led like a sheep to the slaughter, * Jesus, stripped of Thy garments, * Jesus, fastened with nails to the cross, * Jesus, reviled by the malefactors, * Jesus, promising paradise to the penitent thief, * Jesus, commending St John to thy mother as her son, * Jesus, declaring Thyself forsaken by Thy father, * Jesus, obedient even to the death on the cross, * Jesus, pierced with a lance, * Jesus, made a propitiation for us, * Jesus, taken down from the Cross, * Jesus, laid in the sepulchre, * Jesus, rising gloriously from the dead, * Jesus, ascending into heaven, * Jesus, our Advocate with the Father, * Jesus, sending down on the disciples the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, * Jesus, exalting Thy mother, above the living and the dead, *
Be merciful spare us, O Lord, Be merciful graciously hear us, O Lord, From all evil, *Lord Jesus, deliver us, From all sin, * From anger, hatred and avery evil will, * From war, famine & pestilence, * From all dangers of mind and body, * From everlasting death, * Through Thy most pure conception, * Through Thy miraculous nativity, * Through Thy humble circumcision, * Through Thy baptism and holy fasting, * Through Thy labors and watchings, * Through Thy cruel scourging and crowning, * Through Thy thirst and tears and nakedness, * Through Thy precious death on the cross, * Through Thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension, * Through Thy sending forth the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, * On the day of Judgment, *
We sinners, *We beseech Thee, hear us That Thou wouldst spare us, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring us to true pennance, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe mercifully to pour into our hearts the grace of the Holy Spirit, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve and increase all societies assembled in Thy holy name, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bestow upon us true peace, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give us perseverance in grace and in Thy holy service, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe deliver us from unclean thoughts and temptations of the devil, and everlasting damnation, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to unite us to the company of Thy saints, * That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to graciously hear us, *
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world Spare us O Lord, Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world graciously hear us O Lord, Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world have mercy on us,
V. We adore thee, O Christ and praise Thee. R. Because of the Holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. LET US PRAY
Almighty and eternal God, who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Savior of the world and hast willed to be appeased with His blood, grant that we may so venerate this Price of our salvation, and by it might be so defended upon earth from the evils of this present life, that in heaven we may rejoice in its everlasting fruit, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.
first friday: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH.
MEDITATIONS
This day remember how Jesus hears the sentence of death with meekness: Leaving the house of Caiphas where he had been blasphemed, and the house of Herod where he had been mocked, Jesus is dragged before Pilate, his back torn with scourges; His head crowned with thorns; and He who on the last day will judge the living and the dead, is Himself condemned to a disgraceful death.
REFLECTIONS
the Lord Jesus came to earth not to destroy life but for the salvation of man. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest doctor, for there is nothing He cannot cure. Indeed His power to solve man's problems is well demonstrated in the miracles He has wrought-the blind made to see; the dead raised to life; the lame walked.
With men, it is impossible, but not with God (Mark 10:27).
If we should find ourselves in the predicament of the suffering and the needy, let us say with the Lord, "My God, if it pleases Thee, let this chalice pass from my life; nevertheless Thy will be done, not mine".
POPE FRANCIS' CONSIDERATIONS
From Pilate, the man with power, Jesus ought to have obtained justice. Pilate did indeed have the power to recognize Jesus’ innocence and free him. But the Roman Governor preferred to serve the logic of his personal interests and he yielded to political and social pressures. He condemned an innocent man in order to please the crowd, without satisfying truth. He handed Jesus over to the torment of the Cross, knowing that he was innocent ... and then he washed his hands.
In today’s world, there are many "Pilates" who keep their hands on the levers of power and make use of them in order to serve the strongest. There are many who are weak and cowardly before the spectre of power, and mortgage their authority to the service of injustice, trampling upon man’s dignity and his right to life.
Lord Jesus, do not allow us to be among those who act unjustly. Do not allow the strong to take pleasure in evil, injustice and tyranny. Do not allow injustice to condemn the innocent to despair and death. Confirm them in hope and illumine the consciences of those with authority in this world, that they may govern with justice. Amen.
(Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
SECOND friday - JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS.
MEDITATION
Remember this day that a heavy cross is laid upon the bruised shoulders of Jesus Christ. Most willingly Jesus accepts and patiently bears His cross for my sake. Will I refuse to bear my cross for His sake? No, my loving Redeemer, I will no longer seek to evade my cross, but with the help of thy grace I will bear it with Christian patience and resignation and follow Thee always.
REFLECTION
In the beginning of creation, God made life and death co-exist. But at the operation, each is opposed to the other, hence if one exists, the other ceases. Yes, when death comes, life follows. God created us to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him and to be happy with Him forever in heaven, Someday, we do not know when, where and how death will overtake us. Life is everlasting for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and death is endless to those who will die in mortal sin. To the believers, death is merely the cessation of man's activity.
POPE FRANCIS' CONSIDERATIONS
Jesus Christ stands before soldiers who think they have complete power over him, while he is the One through whom "all things were made ... and without him was not anything made that was made" (Jn 1:3).
In every age, man has thought he could take the place of God and determine for himself what is good and what is evil (cf. Gen 3:5) without reference to his Creator and Saviour. He has thought himself omnipotent, capable of excluding God from his own life and from that of his peers, in the name of reason, power or money.
Today too, the world bows to realities that seek to expel God from human life, such as the blind secularism that suffocates the values of faith and morals in the name of an alleged defence of man; or the violent fundamentalism that claims to be defending religious values (cf. Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 29).
Lord Jesus, who accepted humiliation and stood alongside the weak, we entrust to you all who are humiliated and suffering, especially those from the tormented East. Grant that they may find in you the strength to be able to carry their Cross of hope with you. We place into your hands all who are lost, so that, thanks to you, they may find truth and love. Amen
(Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
THIRD friday - JESUS FALLS BENEATH THE CROSS
MEDITATION
Weakened by torments and the loss of blood, Jesus falls three times. My feeble resolutions, my oftrepeated sins, have crushed Jesus to earth. Such is the malice of sin. O Jesus, grant me true repentance. Let me die a thousand times rather than have the misfortune to fall again into mortal sin. Help me to hate all sin.
REFLECTION
Our Lord for a fact did not worry about Himself. Even He hang on the cross, he did not give much thought to himself but to his creatures. He asked that His enemies be forgiven for they did not know what they did. The sources of man's worry is manifold. A few of them are personal while a few others are social.Each type of problem is as compelling as the other, and is no less oppressive. Worry saps the vitality of the man. But we have to trust in God. "Do not therefore be solicitous for tomorrows, for the morrows will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof" (Matthew: 6.34) A man who has motto in his life, "God first and second the rest," has nothing to worry about.
FROM POPE FRANCIS
He who holds the lights of heaven in his divine hand and before whom the powers of heaven tremble: see him falling to the ground, without protecting himself, under the heavy yoke of the Cross.
He who brought peace to the world, wounded by our sins, falls under the burden of our guilt.
"O ye faithful, behold our Saviour as he moves forward along the path to Calvary. Oppressed by bitter sufferings, his strength abandons him. Let us go to see this incredible event that surpasses our understanding and defies description. The foundations of the earth were shaken and a dreadful fear took hold of those who were present when their Creator and God was crushed under the weight of the Cross and let himself be led to death, for love of all humanity" (Chaldean Liturgy).
Lord Jesus, raise us from our own falls, lead our wandering spirit back to your Truth. Do not allow human reason, which you created for yourself, to be satisfied with the partial truths of science and technology without seeking to pose the fundamental questions of the meaning of our existence (cf. Porta Fidei, 12).
Grant, Lord, that we may open ourselves to the action of your Holy Spirit, so that he may lead us to the fullness of Truth. Amen.
... (Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
FOURTH FRIDAY - JESUS MEETS HIS BLESSED MOTHER
MEDITATION
Jesus, the man of sorrows meets Mary, the Queen of Martyrs. Oceans of griefs deluge their hearts as they face each other. They suffer this for my sins. O Jesus, O Mary, bathe my sinful soul in the sea of true sorrow for my past offences. In all temptation, I will say, Jesus, Mary, help me."
REFLECTION
Nervousness, ain to worry, is like the devil inside the human body. It is more tangible because it has outward manifestations. St. Paul, however counsels us: "Give not place to the devil ." (Ephesians 4:27) Crisis of any kind, whether physical, mental or otherwise, can be met with equanimity, fortitude and without nervous tension. Let us believe and have faith in Jesus Christ as the immediate comforter and nearest available physician, faithful friend and true companion. Have moral courage in the face of adversities. Also, be calm in sizing up the situation and use of mind to adopt the measures called for. To learn to smile even in the face of a crisis, to be cheerful is most refreshing to the body, the mind and the soul.
FROM POPE FRANCIS
Wounded and suffering, carrying mankind’s Cross, Jesus meets his mother and, in her face, all mankind.
Mary the Mother of God was the first disciple of the Master. In accepting the Angel’s message, she encountered the Incarnate Word for the first time and became the Temple of the living God. She met him without understanding how the Creator of heaven and earth could have wanted to choose a young girl, a fragile creature, in order to become incarnate in this world. She met him in a constant search for his face, mediating on the word in the silence of her heart. She thought she was seeking him, but in reality, it was he who was seeking her.
Now he encounters her as he carries the Cross.
Jesus suffers on seeing his mother suffer, as does Mary on seeing her Son suffer. But from this shared suffering a new humanity is born. "Salam to you! We implore you, holy and glorious ever-Virgin, Mother of God, Mother of Christ. Let our prayer rise up before your beloved Son, that he may forgive our sins" (Theotikon from the Horologion, Al-Aghbia, 37).
Lord Jesus, in our families we too experience the sufferings caused to children by their parents and to parents by their children. Lord, grant that in these difficult times our families may be places of your presence, so that our sufferings may be turned to joy. Support our families and make them oases of love, peace and serenity, in the image of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Amen.
(Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
FIFTH FRIDAY - THE HELP OF SIMON OF CYRENE
FIFTH DAY - SIMON OF CYRENE ASSISTS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS.
MEDITATION
Although Jesus seems about to expire, He does not need the help of Simon since he wills to die on the cross. Yet, he still accepts the help of Simon to teach us the virtues of charity and perseverance. O Jesus, I too will carry my cross patiently to the end and strive to lighten the cross of my fellowmen.
REFLECTION
Man's greed for material wealth has not infrequently led him to commit crime. Charity finds no place in the hearts of the wicked. The immoderate love for material and wordly things can never insure perpetual enjoyment. The pleasures of the world are fleeting and transitory, quite unlike those of heaven as our Lord Jesus said: "Lay not up to yourselves on earth; where the rust and moth comsume and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven where neither the rust nor the moth doth consume and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
FROM POPE FRANCIS
Jesus’ meeting with Simon of Cyrene took place in silence, providing us with a lesson for our lives: God does not want suffering and he does not accept evil. The same is true of the human being. But suffering, accepted in faith, is transformed into a path of salvation. Then we accept it as Jesus did, and we help to carry it as Simon of Cyrene did.
Lord Jesus, you have involved man in the carrying of your Cross. You have invited us to share your sufferings. Simon of Cyrene is like us and he teaches us to accept the Cross that we encounter on the paths of life. Following your example, Lord, we too carry the Cross of suffering and illness today, but we accept it because you are with us. It can nail us to our chair, but it cannot prevent us from dreaming; it can obscure our vision, but it cannot touch our conscience; it can deafen our ears, but it cannot prevent us from listening; it can bind our tongue but it cannot suppress our thirst for truth; it can weigh down our spirit, but it cannot rob us of our freedom.
Lord, we want to be your disciples so as to carry your Cross every day; we will carry it with joy and hope because you are carrying it with us, because you have triumphed over death for us.
We give you thanks, Lord, for every sick or ailing person who knows how to bear witness to your love, and for every "Simon of Cyrene" whom you place on our journey. Amen.
... (Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
SIXTH FRIDAY: VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF CHRIST
MEDITATION
The lady Veronica takes compassion on Jesus and wipes His face with clean towel. Jesus accepts and returns the towels to Veronica. Upon it is left the impress of His adorable and holy face. Alas, my sins have also disfigured Thy holy countenance. O Jesus, grant me efficacious sorrow so that all my sins may be erased from my soul and that Thy grace and thy divine image may be stamped upon it forever.
REFLECTION
The Lord knows the plight of laborers and has therefore said the following: "Come to me all ye that labor and are burdened and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you and learn of me because I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light." (Matthew: 11:28-30) Laborers, whether mental or manual, should remember the Lord and His words. "I am the door; by Me if any man shall enter, he shall be saved and shall go in and find pasture." (John 10:9) Let us consider that He is also "the way and the truth and the life," and that "no man come to the Father but by me." (John 14:6). Neither is there salvation in any other. Let us all have recourse to Jesus in times of prosperity and want, in joy and in sorrow.
FROM POPE FRANCIS
Veronica sought you in the midst of the crowd. She sought you and finally found you. While your anguish was at its height, she wanted to ease it by wiping your face with a towel. A small gesture, but it expressed all her love for you and all her faith in you; it has remained impressed on the memory of our Christian tradition.
Lord Jesus, it is your face that we seek. Veronica reminds us that you are present in every person who suffers and goes forward along his or her path to Golgotha. Lord, grant that we may find you in the poor, in the least of your brethren, in order to wipe away the tears of those who weep, to take care of those who suffer and to support those who are weak.
Lord, you teach us that a wounded and forgotten person loses neither worth nor dignity and remains a sign of your hidden presence in the world. Help us to wipe away from his or her face the marks of poverty and injustice, so that your image in him or her may be revealed and may shine forth.
We pray for those who are seeking your Face and who find it in those of the homeless, the poor and children exposed to violence and exploitation. Amen.
... (Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
SEVENTH FRIDAY: THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM WEEP OVER JESUS
MEDITATION
When our Lord meets the women of Jerusalem on His way to Calvary, He tells them not to weep for Him but for their own children-for all sins. How generous Jesus is! O Jesus, grant that I may understand the true meaning of Thy passion and be so inflamed with love for thee that I may shed tears over my past transgressions.
REFLECTION
It is well said that the heaviest crosses which any of us carry are the crosses of our own making. Yes, life in action requires the proper weighing of the pros and cons in a try to solve a problem. In man's daily activities, he should take the necessary precaution to scrutinize through self-inquiry the statements of others, of their motives. In so doing, we should also overcome any urge of envy by demonstrating love, charity and sympathy to others. This should be a good norm of conduct for " all men are born brothers." Hence, if any one suffers, all the brethren feel the same pain. In like manner, when a finger is cut, the whole body feels the pain of the injury. Thus through thick and thin men should be united and work peaceably together. Thus man can enjoy contently and peacefully the fruits of his brain and brawn FROM POPE FRANCIS
On the path to Calvary, the Lord meets the women of Jerusalem. These women are weeping at the Lord’s sufferings as if it were suffering without hope. All they can see in the Cross is the wood, sign of a curse (cf. Dt 21:23), whereas the Lord chose it as a means of Redemption and Salvation.
In the Passion and Crucifixion, Jesus gives his life as a ransom for many. Thus he gave relief to those who were oppressed under the yoke and he consoled the afflicted. He wiped away the tears of the women of Jerusalem and opened their eyes to Paschal truth.
Our world is full of afflicted mothers, of women whose dignity has been wounded, abused by discrimination, injustice and suffering (cf. Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, 60). O suffering Christ, be their peace and be a balm to their wounds.
Lord Jesus, by your incarnation from Mary, "Blessed among women" (Lk 1:42), you raised the dignity of every woman. With the Incarnation you unified the human race (cf. Gal 3:26-28).
Lord, may the encounter with you be the desire of our hearts. Let our path, filled with sufferings, always be a path of hope, with you and towards you who are the refuge of our life and our Salvation. Amen.
... (Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
EIGHTH FRIDAY: JESUS REACHES THE CALVARY, WAS NAILED ON THE CROSS
MEDITATION
When Jesus reaches Calvary, he is stripped of His garments. Then he is ignominiously nailed to the hard wood of the cross. Blood flows afresh. Ghastly wounds are reopened and all because of my sins! O Jesus crucified help me to esteem and practice Christian mortification so that I may love only Thee and renounce the world, the flesh and the devil. Grant that I may truly be converted and suffer evil rather than be numbered among ungrateful souls.
REFLECTION
Self-humiliation can cure pride, and I am the most proud of creatures the moment I fail to acknowledge my weaknesses. Jesus has taught us to be humble. He had chosen to be born in a stable. This was a supreme act of humility. When he died, it was before the eyes of contemptuous men. Even when he was in Nazareth, He was obscured from the attention of the people, working in a humble carpenter's shop. Then at the cenacle, He took a basin of water and towel and washed the feet of His apostles. Let me then remember, " The servant is not greater than his Lord." God resists the proud, but not the humble heart. Indeed, humility is the right pathway to real greatness. And "pride goes before destruction."
FROM POPE FRANCIS
Behold, the long-awaited Messiah, hanging on the wood of the cross between two thieves. The two hands which blessed humanity are pierced. The two feet which trod our earth to proclaim the Good News are now suspended between earth and heaven. The eyes full of love, whose gaze healed the sick and forgave our sins, now gaze only heavenward.
Lord Jesus, you were crucified for our sins. You pray to God the Father and you intercede for humanity. Each hammer blow echoes like a beat of your immolated heart. How beautiful upon the mount of Calvary are the feet of the One who proclaims the Good News of salvation. Your love, Jesus, has filled the universe. Your pierced hands are our refuge in distress. They embrace us whenever the abyss of sin threatens us, and in your wounds we find healing and forgiveness.
O Jesus, we pray to you for all those young people who are overcome by hopelessness, for young people who are the victims of drugs, of sects and of perversions.
Free them from their enslavement. May they lift up their gaze and accept Love. May they find happiness in you; save them, our Saviour. Amen
... (Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).
NINTH FRIDAY: JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS
MEDITATION
Jesus, my God, dies on the cross for us sinners. But what have I done for Him? After a while, his lifeless body rest in the arms of Mary. Shall I also carry Him in all my life, defend His teachings unto death? Like Jesus, I too must die, but die to sin. O Jesus, have mercy on me, a poor sinner. Grant me the grace to rise to a new spiritual life, that dying to myself now, I may rise gloriously with Thee on the last day, and enjoy Thy promised glory in heaven for all time.
REFLECTION
In this world of chaos, people have learned to come in closer sacred communion with God, more often through prayers. Our Lord has taught us how to pray, and to pray unceasingly. By this is meant, that even if we were at work, we should offer this work to God and thus become ourselves unceasing in prayer. Our Lord did not only teach, he also set the example. Thus in His apostolate and in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed hard for us. Prayer is the most important activity of men that helps him solve many problems. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. "Every one that asketh, receiveth, and he that seeketh, findeth." (Matthew 7:8)
FROM POPE FRANCIS
From the height of the cross a cry is heard a cry: a cry of abandonment at the moment of death, a cry of trust amid suffering, a cry accompanying the birth of a new life. Behold, hanging on the tree of life, you deliver your spirit into your Father’s hands, causing life to spring up in abundance and forming the new creation. Today we too face the challenges of this world: we sense the surge of fears which overwhelm us and shake our trust. Grant us, Lord, the strength to know deep within our heart that no death will conquer us, until we rest in the hands which have shaped us and accompany us.
May every one of us be able to cry out: "Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with him. Yesterday I died with him, today I live with him. Yesterday I was buried with him. Today I have risen with him." (Gregory Nazianzen)
In the darkness of our nights, we contemplate you. Teach us to turn towards the Most High, your heavenly Father.
Today, let us pray that all those who promote abortion may become aware that love can only be a source of life. Let us think also of those who defend euthanasia and those who encourage techniques and procedures which endanger human life. Open their hearts to know you in the truth and to work for the building of the civilization of life and love. Amen.
... (Pray three Hail Mary's in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that she may ask from Jesus her Son the grace which you would like to obtain from Him).